Blog

By Daniel Stein

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), as most readers of this blog probably know, is a significant driver of progress for our nation’s health system. So Stewards of Change Institute (SOCI) is delighted and honored that ONC has invited us to participate in its online 2021 Tech Forum, which is a showcase for ideas, insights and innovations for advancing health technology to improve patient care, health equity, data exchange and interoperabi

By Daniel Stein

Here’s something we can all agree on: Sharing data across systems, sectors and domains is a highly desirable goal because it can result in enormous benefits, ranging from reducing costs to enhancing programmatic efficiencies to – most importantly – improving person-centered care and outcomes. What we also know, however, is that there are tall hurdles to achieving that goal, and two of the highest are 1) the need to readily secure consent from the people whose information is to be

By Daniel Stein

This quote from the latest newsletter from the California chapter of the National Association of Social Workers caught my eye: “Public and private programs, agencies and organizations nationwide are preparing to build, rebuild, and grow in 2021 and beyond. And – as the pandemic has demonstrated every day – the need will be greater than ever to address socioeconomic problems, racial disparities, and health inequities with improved Interoperability and information-sharing.”

I could

By Daniel Stein and David A. Ross

The $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that’s headed for President Biden’s desk this week makes it very clear – wonderfully – that children will be a primary concern during his Administration. In particular, the legislations provisions will make a meaningful difference in the lives of kids in low- and middle-income families, mitigating poverty’s corrosive impact on millions of the youngest, most-vulnerable people in our country.

It’s a major step forward, to be sur

By Daniel Stein, President, SOC Institute I’m happy to report that 2021 has gotten off to a good start for Stewards of Change Institute (SOCI), with the successful completion of three initiatives: 

• Our National Action Agenda (NAA) Symposium to Advance Upstream Social Determinants and Health Equity, held last month in partnership with the Stanford University Center for Population Health Sciences. Learn more about the event and view its recorded sessions.
• A court-improvement project, with the Pew

By David A. Ross and Daniel Stein

It’s heartening to see that, among the many executive orders President Biden has signed during his first days in office, there’s one that makes clear that children are among his primary concerns. Indeed, his plan to significantly expand benefits for children in low- and middle-income families will make a meaningful difference if enacted, mitigating poverty’s corrosive impact on millions of the youngest, most-vulnerable people in our country.

We believe that’s on

By Miriam Castro

Our Mentor Program supports seven experienced organizations (listed below) by offering targeted technical assistance or subject area expertise to small groups of “mentees.” Each selected team will be matched with an experienced mentor and will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 for participation; most awards are of $5,000 for groups of at least two organizations. The application period is open until January 22, 2021. Full program details and application instructions can be fou

By Mary Kratz

The healthcare industry is undergoing a major transformation, not only vertically within the industry itself, but also horizontally in its intersections with other disciplines. And this change is happening – every day – as the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the pervasive impact of public health on schools, social services, and many other aspects of society. As public health takes center stage, interoperability plays a critical role. The National Action Agenda to Advance Upstream Soc

 By Eric Jahn

Within many countries and across national borders, the internet is full of varying definitions or understandings for similar or even the same human services concepts. For example, the word "program" means different things in different circumstances and different sectors. The same is true for many common terms, even simple ones that we may intuitively believe have the same meaning to almost anyone. (Think "enrollments," "households," "exit," "homelessness" and many, many more.)

T

By Daniel Stein, President, Stewards of Change Institute

COVID-19 is unleashing numerous, profound consequences that we hear about on the news and feel in our own lives every day. One effect of the crisis that has received little attention to date, however, is its impact on the civil courts, where critically important personal matters such as child custody and eviction (among many others) are still playing out during the pandemic and will continue to do so into the future.

The need for the court

By Daniel Stein, President, Stewards of Change Institute

Like so many others in the nonprofit world, those of us at Stewards of Change Institute (SOCI) do our work every day primarily because we deeply believe in our mission and are committed to improving people’s lives by advancing systems-level change.

I have to admit, however, that it’s also nice when our efforts get a little outside attention now and then. So I’d like to extend a metaphorical tip of my hat (I don’t really wear one) to GovRep